Tool-holder head, in particular for plasma beam cutting machines

ABSTRACT

A tool-holder head for machines using radiant energy beams, that is suitable in particular for plasma beam cutting machines, includes a vertical sliding saddle to which at least an energy beam source is constrained through an articulated support that secures the position of normal use of said source and allows the source to move according to the vertical axis or to translate according to said working position when transversal or axial forces are applied to said source&#39;s terminal part. The tool-holder bead is also equipped with sensing means of the above-said movings and translations so to be able to operate on the control of the machine with the more suitable proceedings according to the operating condition consequent to said senses.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This invention concerns a tool-holder head for machines using radiant energy beams, especially suitable for plasma beam cutting machines.

[0002] As known, the machines using radiant energy beams have more and more growing use in the carrying out of several working processes, such as the engraving process through laser beam of flat surfaces of different material, or the cutting process through plasma bean of plates having a certain thickness, according to determinate shaped profiles.

BACKGROUND ART

[0003] The machines tool used in these processes are equipped with turrets or tool-holder heads in which the photonic probes, the cutting torches or the used energy beam sources are supported in a vertical position and they can be translated parallely to themselves staying at a fixed distance from the flat surface of the workpiece.

[0004] As it is for other tool-holder heads having a vertical axis, also in these machines the “tool” can be lift up and lowered according to the working surface through drives included in the head itself, while the horizontal advancements take place through movements of the turret according to “x” and “y” directions.

[0005] So, in these machines, the “tool” is constrained to the tool-holder head in such a way to move as regards to it only according translations towards the “z” axis or, however, only towards the head axis.

[0006] The energy beam source is rigidly constrained to the respective supporting head and it is controlled to slide only according to the head axis direction, i.e. orthogonally to the working surface, or in a tilted direction when, as in some machines, the head can work in a tilted way according to the vertical position.

[0007] The distance of the energy beam source's lower end from the workpiece surface must have a fixed and a constant value during all the working, especially during workings using plasma beams, where, as known, the necessary power and the energy to the holding of the electric arc on which the beam is based are strictly proportional to the arc's lenght itself.

[0008] In this case, to obtain an high efficiency of the carried out working process, the above-said distance must be kept constant with predetermined low values.

[0009] Consequently, as it is easy to understand, some problems arise due to the irregolarity of the surface, to the kind of the material to be worked, to eventual unexpected objects during the cutting run or to other events from which it can occur the circumstance that the plasma beam source's terminal part, commonly called cutting torch, can collide against unexpected obstacles and damage itself, in an irreparable way too.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The main aim of this invention is to propose an innovative tool-holder head, through which it can be possible to nullify the risks of damage of the cutting torch in case of impacts or collisions.

[0011] An other aim of the invention is to propose an embodiment that enables the easy use of the energy beam machines, allowing a rapid and effective calibration of the zero rate according to the “z” axis with no metallic materials too.

[0012] Further aim is to propose an embodiment easily suitable to the machines tool currently in use.

[0013] These and other aims which will become clear in the following description are achieved through a tool-holder head for machines using radiant energy beams including a vertical sliding saddle to which an energy beam source is constrained through an articulated support that is held through elastic means in the embodiment in which said energy beam source is in the position of normal working and which can furthermore allow to said radiant energy source to have, respectively, either tilted positions according to the axis of normal working or translated positions according to said position of normal use, respectively when upwards transversal or axial forces are applied to the lower terminal part of said energy beam source.

[0014] The tool-holder head also includes sensors fit for sensing the corresponding movements of said energy beam source according to said normal working position, said sensors are connected to the machine control unit, so to select, according to the kind of sensed movement, the exact step, such as the interruption of working process, or a simple calibration of the working parameters.

[0015] Unlike the tool-holder heads usually used in machines using radiant energy beams, where there is an useless rigid connection between the head and the energy beam source, useless because said source, unlike the usual tools used in mechanical workings, during the working process is not subject to any transversal stress according to the advance movement, the tool-holder head of the invention has the new characteristic of allowing to the “tool” to tilt or to translate upwards, according to the corresponding supporting saddle, when any stress is applied to the terminal part of the same, avoiding any damaging due to impacts or collisions.

[0016] Furthermore, suitable sensors of the “tool” movements according to the normal working position, allow to find, quickly, anomalous conditions and to operate on the control of the machine with the more suitable proceeding.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] However, to allow a better comprehension of the constructive and functional characteristics of the proposed tool-holder head, a more detailed description of the invention is following as an example, together with the attached drawings, in which:

[0018] the FIG. 1 shows a schematic prospective view of a tool-holder head according to the present invention;

[0019] the FIG. 2 shows a lateral view, in partial cross section, of the tool-holder head of FIG. 1;

[0020] the FIG. 3 shows a detailed view in cross section of some parts of the tool-holder head according to the invention;

[0021] the FIG. 4 shows a lateral view of the parts of FIG. 3 in a particular operating embodiment;

[0022] the FIG. 5 shows a further lateral view of the parts of FIG. 3 in a different operating embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] With reference to FIG. 1, a tool-holder head for a plasma beam cutting machine is indicated with 10.

[0024] It includes a saddle 11, operated by a motor 12, coaxial to the screw 13, with which said saddle engages itself, as it is clearly showed in FIG. 2, to be moved along the vertical axis 14. The lateral guides 15 and 16 assure the vertical sliding of said saddle between the two positions respectively determined by the upper supporting blocks 17 and lower 18, anchored to the face 19.

[0025] The radiant energy beam source 20, which in this embodiment is constituted by a cutting torch, is constrained to said saddle 11 through an articulated support 21, consisting of two principal portions 22 and 23, where the L-square shaped portion 22 is steadily anchored to the saddle 11, while the portion 23, housing in its center the cutting torch 20, is jointly constrained to the fixed portion 22, and is held in the working position as in the FIG. 2 through elastic means 24.

[0026] Exactly, as shown in FIG. 3 that the portion 23 of the articulated support 21 houses in a circular opening 25 on the horizontal bracket of the L-square portion 22, said housing being suitable because of the truncated-cone shape of the edges of said circular opening and of the same portion 23 in the contact area with the fixed portion 22.

[0027] As said before, in the embodiment showed in FIGS. 2 and 3, the two portions of the articulated support are held steadily in contact each other through elastic means constituted by springs 24, uniformly distributed along the perimeter of the same support, said springs being anchored through screwing pivots 26 to the horizontal bracket of the fixed portion 22 and to the external superior rim of said portion 23.

[0028] In this case, the locking of the cub torch 20 to the movable portion 23 of the articulated support 21 is achieved through the locking ring 27, which is clamped to the insulating bush 28, to which the cutting torch is integral through a forced connection. The ring 27 is constituted by a fixed semi-part 27 a, that is part of the body of the mobile portion 23 and by a free semi-part 27 b which is returned back towards the fixed semi-part operating on suitable screw means 29, showed in FIG. 4.

[0029] Furthermore, with reference to the FIG. 3, in the portion 23 of the articulated support 21 and placed in correspondence of the contact surface with the fixed portion 22 there are closeness sensors 30, which, for their position that is well showed in said figure, are fit for sensing the condition of relative contact or no-contact of the articulated support's two portions.

[0030] This is useful for an effective control of the machine, because said sensors can be connected to the central control unit of the same machine directly or through electronic circuits of suitable interface.

[0031] The above described tool-holder head works according to the following proceeding steps.

[0032] After the energy beam source 20 has been constrained to the articulated support 21 according to the embodiment of which in the FIG. 2, the saddle 11 of the tool-holder head is controlled to slide along the guides 15 and 16 until the terminal part 31 of the torch 20 contacts the plate 32, as showed in FIG. 4.

[0033] In this condition the portion 23 of the articulated support integral to the torch 20 lifts, overcoming the reaction of the elastic means 24, as showed in said figure, according to the portion 22, integral to the saddle 11 and of a portion 33, herein showed in an indicative way. The no-contact condition 33 between the two portions of the articulated support is sensed by all the closeness sensors 30, and it is transmited to the control unit of the machine so to determine the zero rate, along the “z” axis.

[0034] So, the energy beam source is brought, through the saddle 11, to the working height suitable for the kind of working to carry out and it is activated through the feed cable 34. Then the working process starts, in this case a cutting operation, through the movement of the tool-holder head towards the “x” and “y” directions according to a fixed run.

[0035] In this step the corresponding position of the two portions of the articulated support 21 is showed in FIG. 3, the no-contact condition 33 has been nullify through the springs 24, during the positioning of the torch 20, at the right height of working.

[0036] If, during the working, the terminal part 31 of the cutting torch 20 is subject to transversal forces, such as those resulting from the collision against obstacles 35, present on the surface to be worked 32, the portion 23 of the articulated support 21 places itself in a tilted position according to the portion 22. With reference to the condition showed in FIG. 5, the portion 23 can rotate around the point 36, which is the contact point with the fixed portion 22, overcoming the spring action 24, and change from the normal working position, illustrated in section lining, to the tilted position according to the inclination axis 37, illustrated in full lining.

[0037] The following no-contact condition 38 which results between the two portions 22 and 23, by the side of the spring 24, is sensed only by the closeness sensors 30, placed in correspondence of said area. This condition is interpreted by the control unit of the machine as an anomalous condition, consequently the advancement of the cutting torch is interrupted, protecting its integrity.

[0038] The sense of above-said condition or of another condition of similar anomalous working can be carried out also through a suitable electronic circuit connected to the sensors 30, instead of the central control unit of the machine and said circuit can activate directly the emergency stop of the machine.

[0039] Other different embodiments or variations to all above-described can be proposed.

[0040] The constraint of the energy bean source to the articulated support can occur in a different way, by using, instead of the open ring 27, a special bush which engages itself into a suitable thread on the lower area of the portion 23, showed in the enclosed figures.

[0041] The elastic means that constrain each other the two portions 22 and 23 of the articulated support 21 could be different from the springs 24, used in the illustrated example and could be placed in different positions.

[0042] The sensors could be placed, for example, integrally to the fixed portion 22, instead of to the moving portion 23.

[0043] Furthermore, the same sensors can be of the different kind, not electrical necessarily.

[0044] The constraining means of the fixed portion of the articulated support 21 to the saddle 11, can be simple screw means or self-locking shaped connections.

[0045] The invention ca be suitable to every kind of machines using energy beam sources, for workings concerning metallic and not metallic materials.

[0046] These and other variations can be applied to the above illustrative description, protecting however the advantages of the proposed embodiment. 

We claim: 1- Tool-holder head for machines using radiant energy beams wherein it includes a vertical slipping saddle (11) to which at least an energy beam source (20) is constrained through at least an articulated support (21), which is held by elastic means (24) in the embodiment in which said energy beam source is in the normal working condition. 2- Tool-holder head according to the previous claim wherein said articulated support (21) is constituted by a first (22) and a second (23) portion, said first portion being removable constrained to said saddle (11) and being provided with a circular opening (25) in which said second portion (23) houses to which said radiant energy beam source (20) is constrained, said second portion (23) being held in contact with said first portion (22) through elastic means (24) whose terminal ends ate anchored respectively to said first and to said second portion, said second portion (23) being able to tilt according to the axis of said circular opening (25) and being able to vertically translate according to said first portion (22) respectively due to transversal and axial forces, whose intensity is able to overcome the action of said elastic means (24), applied to said energy beam source (20) integral to said second portion (23). 3- Tool-holder head according to claims 1 or 2 wherein it includes sensors (30) of respective movements of said energy beam source (20) according to said saddle (11). 4- Tool-holder head according to claim 3 wherein said sensors (30) are constituted by closeness sensors placed in said second portion (23) of said articulated support (21) in correspondence to the contact area between said first and said second portion to be able to sense the contact or the no-contact condition between said portions of said articulated support. 5- Tool-holder head according to the previous claims wherein said sensors (30) are spaced uniformly in the contact area between said first and said second portion of said articulated support so that the vertical translation condition of said second portion (23) according to said fist portion (22), consequent to the action of an axial force at the terminal end of said energy beam source (20), is sensed at the same time by all said sensors by noting the respective no-contact condition of said portions, while the tilting condition of said second portion (23) according to the axis of said circular opening (25) placed in said fist portion (22) is noted by the sense of the respective no-contact condition of said portions by only a few of said sensors. 6- Tool-holder head according to the previous claim wherein said sensors are connected to the control unit of the machine so to cause the head advancement stop or the working process breakdown when said tilting condition of the energy beam source (20) is sensed according to said normal working position. 7- Tool-holder head according to the claim 5 wherein said sensors are connected to the control unit of the machine so to obtain the working height calibration of the energy beam source (20) when said vertical translation condition of said second portion (23) is sensed according to said first portion (22) of said articulated support. 8- Tool-holder head according to the previous claims wherein said machine using radiant energy beams is a cutting machine using a plasma beam. 